96. Truth and Dare (Patreon)

I felt hot and sweaty. The air was stuffy too. I shoved the blanket aside and turned over, but a sharp pain in my side jerked me upright. Instead of a lightning bear, though, late afternoon light greeted me.

I was in Bihei’s longhouse. Her loom stood in the corner. Steam rose from a pot simmering over the cookfire, a corn porridge from the smell. Propped up beside the door was Bearbane. The spear had been cleaned and polished.

At the corner of the bed, Aluali lay curled up in a ball, asleep. The animals had been let out for the day, so it was quiet. The only sounds were those of the people walking past outside and Alauli’s soft breathing.

He must’ve nodded off while watching over me. I stroked his hair and noticed the splotches on his cheeks. He’d been crying.

Yuki?

You’ve been asleep for four days.

We made it then.

Yes, but it was close.

I lifted up my shirt and saw a scar in the shape of a sunburst covering almost the whole of my abdomen. No bloody bandages or inflammation though. Thank the gods for magical healing.

The scar was ugly, but I was alive to appreciate its ugliness. That’s what mattered.

I heard a voice there at the end...

Mumu? She and the others saw Snow take us, and they followed after. Her Healing Water--

I shook my head. I heard Helen.

Oh. The impact of my statement reverberated through Yuki. That means--

Yeah, I died. Or came close enough to straddle the line.

Yuki shuddered. Let’s not do that again.

I can’t promise that. Not to you or anyone else. Life’s a one-way street, and there’s only one destination.

Not for us, Yuki said.

I smiled at that, and noticed my jaw felt sore.

Yuki explained. The hunters pooled their money to pay for both a healer and an alchemist to treat your wounds. They were worried the golden slumber had gotten to you in addition to the lightning bear, and they forced your mouth open for a series of potions.

That must’ve been expensive, I said.

The healer, yes. The alchemist, on the other hand, nearly wet himself when he learned there was a stand of golden slumber nearby. Apparently, it’s valuable.

More than the eilesheile? I asked.

About the same. Anyway, it was good the alchemist was here. The hunters needed his lodge’s help in safely moving the King’s body from the slumber’s meadow.

Ah, yes. I could see how that’d be a problem.

It’s all taken care of now though, Yuki said. The bear’s body is at the Hunter’s Lodge being butchered.

And everyone’s safe? I asked.

Snow is back at the glen, and Ikfael knows you are safe. Our team is also well. They have new scars, but they’ve all healed. Inleio... Yuki’s dismay colored their next words. He’s alive. That’s something.

My stomach sank. My hand, stroking Aluali’s hair, paused.

And Borba?

Still alive, but not for much longer. He’s lost himself and attacked several of the other hunters.

That was another blow. I’d hoped his performance during the hunt would redeem him, but apparently, it only made things worse. Anything else?

Yuki’s qi sneered. Ghitha took Banan, Kuros, and some soldiers to the King’s den, but all they found was evidence of an old battle and the wall Woldec raised. Because of the way the stone was fused, none of them realized it wasn’t natural. Yuki snickered. Ghitha nearly went mad. They searched and searched, but didn’t find any of the entrances to the Cave of Origins. Banan and Kuros were disgusted.

The Albei hunters didn’t get in trouble for running away? I asked.

They lost their shares for the bear’s parts. Technically, they were employed by Ghitha, so it would’ve been his responsibility to deal with them. He didn’t. Instead, he cancelled the dolbecs contract (to conserve money) and kept Kuros and Banan to help find the Red Room. When they didn’t find it, he also fired them. The only reason they’re still in Voorhei is to recover Otwei’s body.

They were fools, the lot of them. The dolbecs were the only good people on that team, even if Moon was dusk. How are they doing?

Agath and Moon are still recovering.The feeling of sneering-gloating-superiority dropped away from Yuki’s qi, and was replaced by something more serious. We’ll have to deal with Ghitha soon. He blames us for what happened. “If we’d just told him the den was empty, he wouldn’t have spent all his coin on a fool’s quest.” Ghitha believes we colluded with Inleio to trick him into sponsoring the hunt.

Well, Ghitha wasn’t completely wrong. Inleio did use Ghitha’s obsession for his own purposes. Practical, pragmatic Inleio--he’d do almost anything to protect the village and its hunters. I couldn’t help but mourn the sacrifices he’d made to do so.

“Zasha…” A soft voice roused me from my thoughts. “Oh, Zasha, you’re awake.” Aluali scrambled to hug me tight.

I grimaced--my wounds were still tender--but I didn’t say anything. Aluali was in tears.

“You were hurt--so hurt--and covered in blood. We thought you were dead.”

“There, there,” I said. “As you can see, I’m all right.”

Aluali shook his head. “But you were almost not right. You have to be more careful, Zasha. Your life is more important than any bear, no matter how dangerous.”

“It had to be done,” I said. “And things turned out well, didn’t they?”

Aluali sat back and looked into my face. “Zasha won’t understand unless I show him.”

He scooted off the bed to retrieve my chainmail from storage, and held it up to show me. The armor had been cleaned of blood, fur, and gore, but the whole front lower half was missing from when I’d partially blinked inside the bear’s snout.

“All the villagers who knew Healing Water,” Aluali said, “came to cast the spell. And there was the alchemist and nasty healer too; to make sure your insides were okay and there was no lasting damage to your body. Do you understand now, Zasha?”

“I understand,” I said, dutifully.

“And you promise not to do such dangerous things again?”

I carefully got out of bed and took the armor from him. The links around the hole looked sheared through. “That I won’t promise. Because I’ll do what’s demanded of me; what’s necessary to protect those I love.”

“But--”

“There is no but,” I said. “This is who your Zasha is. That’s all there is to it.”

I thought that was a fine way to end the argument, but the little rascal was determined. He refused to give up and argued his case while I changed clothes, ate three bowls of porridge (I was starving), and got ready to go to the Hunter’s Lodge.

###

As soon as I stepped out the door, Aluali puffed up like a balloon, and I quickly realized why: I couldn’t go more than a couple of steps without a villager coming up to touch me--on the arm, the shoulder, the head--and ask about my wellbeing. The bolder ones (and the troubled) asked for blessings.

I felt like the pope. And wished for my own popemobile. I mean, everyone was carefully polite, and I was happy to receive their well wishes, but it took nearly half an hour to walk to the lodge. The crowd only dispersed after I arrived.

Inside, Kesa and Mumu huddled over Inleio’s desk to discuss a sheet of paper between them. In the opposite corner, a pair of hunters individually wrapped bear teeth in cloth before putting them into a chest. Another pair carried an enormous heart over to a barrel full of salt, while a group of hunters worked nearby to strip bones of flesh and connective tissue.

The bustle and noise came to a halt as the hunters noticed me at the door. Then a collective sigh moved through the room. Smiles broke out like the sun coming out from behind clouds. Someone ran to the back courtyard to announce my arrival, and more hunters crowded inside; many wearing aprons covered in gore, the bloody butchering knives in their hands forgotten.

The hunters made way for Inleo, enough space for him and Tegen on whom he leaned. Someone had made a prosthetic cane for him, and it clicked against the stone as he approached.

The Lodge Master was a shell of his former self. His steps were slow and pained. His salt and pepper hair was now completely white. The vigor--the elan--that I associated with him was dust. None remained, except...he looked up at me as he approached, and I saw determination in his eyes.

Maybe he knew what I was thinking, because he loudly cracked his cane against the stone, as if to announce that he was still alive. I smiled, and he smiled back. This was a man who didn't regret his choices either.

“I have something for you,”  he said. “But first--”

Inleio let go of Tegen’s support to place both his hands over his heart and bow. The other hunters followed suit. I--well, I was embarrassed and pleased and touched and never had so much admiration from so many people before. I choked up, and the moment lasted long enough for me to start squirming. I was just about to say something to lighten the mood when Inleio righted himself and the others did too.

“We are all hunters here,” Inleio said, “and we know what courage and skill it took to face the King of the Forest. Others may hear the story and praise you, but we, your brothers and sisters--we know. We understand. We recognize the gift you’ve given.”

The room shook with a sudden yell from the hunters present. No word or words that I could pick out; just heartfelt expressions of joy-courage-appreciation.

###

The ritual room’s stone ceiling and wooden braces deadened the noise of the rambunctious hunters above. Surrounded by the tapestries of the forest, the corners cloaked in shadows, it felt like we were a world away.

I started a fire, while Mumu and Kesa worked at the herb cabinet to prepare a tea blend. Inleio gestured at them with his eyes. “I’ve decided that Mumu will be the next Lodge Master. Yet, because she is still unseasoned, I’ve asked Kesa to guide her.”

Mumu’s skill plus Kesa experience--as long as the two got along, it’d be a potent combination.

“Will it affect their teams?” I asked.

“Not at this time,” Inleio said. “Our village is prosperous enough that the Lodge Master doesn’t need to hunt, but Mumu refuses to leave the field.”

“It’d be a waste of her skills,” I said.

“So she said as well.” He grinned, clearly proud of her.

“And I’ll say it again to whoever tries to keep me out of the forest,” Mumu said, walking over. She looked well enough, but a new scar ran from the top of her left eyebrow down to her cheek. She’d been fortunate not to lose the eye.

Kesa shook her head. “A wise hunter doesn’t keep their sharpest spear in the shed.”

“Is that a proverb?” I asked.

“No, but it ought to be,” Kesa said.

The hunters chuckled; Inleio’s turning into a raspy cough. The laughter died, and I didn’t miss the pained expressions on Mumu and Kesa’s faces.

“Are you all right?” I asked.

Inleio snorted. “Of course not. What a foolish question, Little Pot. But what is, is. There’s no turning back time. Not that I would. The King is dead, and that’s enough for me.”

He looked over at Mumu, and she took the hint to start steeping the tea. The scent was familiar, and my stomach sank. I’d been afraid of this.

“Is that--”

Inleio nodded in approval. “You have a good nose. It’s truth-telling tea, yes.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Why else? Because there are questions,” Inleio said.

“And these questions need to be answered?” I asked.

Inleio’s wrinkles deepened as he thought. “No and yes. No, in that we could live blithely on without the answers and likely not be harmed. Yes, in that the lodge is our joint responsibility, and responsibility requires us to press ahead even when there is discomfort.”

Well, it’s not like I blamed them for wanting answers. A lot happened during the hunt that was mysterious unless you happened to know the full story.

Sure, I could refuse--walk away without answering their questions--and what? They throw me out of the lodge for disobedience? Somehow, I wasn’t too worried about that. But even it happened, even if they banished me from the village, I had the money from Bindesei’s treasure and the deal with Uncle Kila. I’d find a way to make do.

I looked into the eyes of the three hunters across from me, and none of them were antagonistic. If anything, they held affection for me, each in their own way. Would their pragmatism override their affection though?

Yuki?

A Lodge is another Family, they said.

That’s not always a good thing, I said.

This Family in particular then, do we trust them?

I trust them to do what’s best for the lodge and for the village, I said.

And aren’t we part of both?

In my mind, my true home was Ikfael Glen, but I’d also ingratiated myself into the village and its Hunter’s Lodge. I cared about the people here, and that did matter. I could live without them, yes, but did I want to?

Maybe it wasn’t the smartest, safest decision, but my gut told me to go ahead. That the upside was worth the risk, and if things went bad…well, I had Ikfael Glen on my side.

The hunters didn’t say anything while the tea was prepared. They were content to let me think things through, which pretty much implied that I had secrets I wanted to keep hidden. So, yeah, okay: I nodded in agreement and took the tea when it was offered to me.

Inleio waited until I drank half the cup. My body loosened, and my breathing slowed. My thoughts drifted like clouds, but I felt safe knowing Yuki was there to watch over me.

The others drank too. Sharing in the tea was a gesture of respect for the proceedings.

“My first question,” Inleio said. “Are you well?”

“I’ve got an ugly-ass scar and some twinges, but I came out of the fight in better shape than I expected. No permanent damage that I can tell.”

All three hunters breathed a sigh of relief. Then Mumu took over for the questioning:

“How did you kill the King of the Forest? Yes, it was clever to use the golden slumber to make him drowsy, but even with Bearbane, you’re not strong enough.”

“Ah, it’s time I came clean about that: I tamed a blynx. Well, tame’s not the right word. Made an arrangement. Became friends. Her name is Sun-on-Snow, and she lives at Ifkael Glen, along with a couple of kittens named Oscar and Felix. They’re so cute! And their fur is so soft!”

Mumu held up a hand, her forehead wrinkling. “Wait, you what?”

“Made friends with a blynx,” I said. “But that’s not the cool part. The cool part is--”

“How? Just how?” Mumu asked, interrupting. “My heart nearly stopped when I saw her snatch you away!”

“I have a spell that creates harmony between creatures, and before you ask, no, I can’t share it. I don’t even think I’m supposed to use it often. My impression is that it’s for special occasions.”

“Ikfael Glen must care for you greatly,” Mumu said, “to give you this spell in addition to Healing Water.”

“Oh, it wasn’t--”

Ollie/Eight!

I shut my mouth and reconsidered telling them about the stonewater serpent. “I think Ikfael Glen is warming up to me nicely.”

“And so this Blynx,” Mumu said, “helped you kill the King?”

“Yes. Snow--that’s her nickname--saved me from getting squashed by the bear, but she didn’t help me kill him, not directly anyway. Instead, she taught me the Blink spell.”

Kesa dropped her cup, spilling what was left of her tea on her lap. Mumu’s jaw dropped, and Inleio grunted in surprise. All three stared, and I cleared my throat and smiled.

“Eight, can you share the spell with the lodge?” Inleio asked.

I shook my head. “Blink’s requirements include using body power in certain ways. I’m not sure how to teach that, and even if I did--the resulting damage is pretty severe. The spell’s a last resort.”

The hunters’ faces fell in disappointment.

“There may be a hunter yet,” Kesa said, “who has a Talent for using body power. We should keep the spell in mind if that day ever comes.”

Mumu rubbed at her new scar as she thought. Did it itch? Were their salves for itchy skin? There must be.

“But wait,” she said, interrupting my thoughts. “That means Eight can use body power. How? Have you been taking darklight?”

“No, not at all,” I said. “We made the spell work by simulating the effects of body power through a...uh…convoluted use of qi and mana.”

The hunters chewed on that, but seemed to take me at my word that this wasn’t a skill or spell that I could teach.

“Amazing. Just amazing. Our Little Pot--” Mumu shook her head to clear it. She set her teacup down before continuing. “There’s only one question left. Eight, why did the lightning bear target you and Otwei?”

Oh boy. There it was. The question I’d been dreading-expecting.

I gathered my thoughts. Reconsidered them, which wasn’t easy, since they tended to stray like chickens searching for--

This really wasn’t the time to be hunting for metaphors. To get distracted, no matter how much I wanted to eat fried chicken.

Yuki, help.

Their qi sparkled in amusement. You’ve already decided. Just do it.

And you’re okay with this decision?

Yes, Yuki said. We’re tired of hiding from our friends.

“I’m not alone,” I said into the waiting hunters. “Like Snow, I have another friend, but even closer. Much closer.” I reached out my hand, and Yuki’s tendrils sprouted from my palm.

“Oh, Little Pot,” Mumu said. “How much darklight--”

“It’s not… I’ve never taken darklight in my life,” I said, firm. “This is Yuki, a sentient lichen that lives inside my body. I know it sounds strange and maybe terrifying, but they’re my best friend.”

If the Blink spell shocked the hunters, Yuki was a surprise of several magnitudes larger. My answer to the question was clearly not what they were expecting. All three were speechless. They stared at the gently swaying tendrils.

“Yuki helps me with my spellcasting,” I said. “They’re a master of qi manipulation and the reason why I learn spells so quickly. They can transform into qi, which is how they--”

Kesa squinted as she thought through the implications. “This creature--”

“Their name is Yuki,” I clarified.

“This Yuki then--can they go into other people?”

I cleared my throat. “Ah, yes.”

Mumu’s brows rose, unevenly thanks to the new scar. “Did they go into Otwei?”

“Yes,” I said. “Back when she spied on me in Ikfael Glen.”

Inleio breathed in deeply. “That’s how you learned Camouflage and Scentless Hunter spells.”

“How dangerous is this Yuki?” Mumu asked.

“How dangerous are you?” I asked in return.

Mumu smiled like a wolf, her teeth showing. “Very.”

“And my answer is the same, but the danger is in service to me, my Family, and this lodge. Yuki is as much a part of me as my own heart. What I do, we do together. All the good I’ve done, Yuki has done alongside me. They’re as much a part of this lodge, as I am.”

Kesa raised her hand to get my attention. “If Yuki can go into other people, are they in anyone else right now?”

“They’re also inside Snow to help coordinate our actions. And...ah...there’s also a piece of Yuki inside Ghitha.”

That seemed to give them pause. Each of the hunters sat back to consider the implications. Mumu and Inleio...didn’t seem displeased, but Kesa frowned.

She asked, “What about your team? Lodge brothers and sisters? Other villagers?”

“Never. The only times Yuki entered another human being was when we had evidence that they intended harm.”

There were more questions after, but they were variations on what was already asked. I hedged here and there, but tried not to hide anything. Mostly, it was to keep things simple. My relationship with Yuki was complicated, and I didn’t want to come anywhere close to the truth about me living a second life.

The three hunters looked overwhelmed by it all. Sure, they’d seen a lot of incredible, unbelievable stuff in their lives, but Yuki was on a whole other level. It wasn’t even because the uekisheile could invade things and kill them from the inside or that they were frighteningly intelligent--they’d seen that before--but because Yuki was friendly.

It was like opening a gift under the Christmas tree and expecting a pair of socks--maybe a puppy if you were lucky--but a man-eating lion popped out instead. And all it wanted to do was lick your face and sit on the couch with you to watch A Christmas Story for the ten millionth time.

Eventually, the hunters ran out of questions, and asked me to give them time to confer. I moved to the edge of the room to meditate, but it was hard to focus on anything other than the murmur of their conversation. I must’ve been tired, because the sound lulled me to sleep.

###

I woke to Kesa touching my arm. “Eight, another question for you: does Ikfael Glen know of Yuki?”

I yawned and rubbed my eyes. “Ikfael, yes. She gave me some surprisingly good relationship advice.”

Kesa nodded. “Thank you. You can go back to resting.”

I didn’t think I could, so I got back into my meditation posture. Their murmurs were just as distracting as before though. I wondered what they were saying.

###

The next time, it was Inleio who woke me, flanked by the other hunters. “Eight,” he said, “if you wanted to kill Ghitha, can you do it? Right now? With Yuki?”

I licked my lips. “It’s possible, yes.”

“And it would appear as if he died on his own. Is that true?” Inleio asked.

Yes, our failsafe is well integrated now.

“Ah, yes, but someone with a Talent for investigation may discover something. There’s too much I don’t know about what’s possible.”

Inleio shook his head. “There’s no one in Voorhei who has such a Talent.” He looked to the other two hunters. When they nodded in agreement, he continued. “Eight, we ask you to kill Ghitha with Yuki. The man will die anyway, but it will be less fuss if it appears he died naturally.”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Disbelief welled up inside me, followed quickly by anger. Finally, I got a word out:

“No.”

“This is a request from your lodge,” Inleio said.

“No.”

“You will be rewarded. I know you want the King’s core. It will be yours. There are also spells to be had--your contribution in this regard will not be small.”

“I refuse.”

“But he is a threat,” Inleio said. “We’ve all heard him speak ill of you and your Family. What if he comes after you? After them?”

“Then I’d drop him in a heartbeat. He wouldn’t know what hit him. But I don’t need Yuki for that. The result would be the same if I used a knife, spear, or bow. He’d be dead no matter what. But that’s if he became a real threat. There’d be justification.” I shook my head. “I won’t let you make Yuki into your hidden executioner.”

Inleio’s voice was grave. “Be careful, Eight. This is a test. Your response could jeopardize your standing within the lodge. Within Voorhei. You dare to refuse us?”

I laughed. “I dare. Listen to me again: I dare! I’m already beyond wealthy. There’s nothing here that I want or need other than companionship. You can try to bribe me, you can try to threaten, but it’ll do you no good.”

“Even if we do threaten you and your Family?” Inleio asked. “To ensure the safety of the village.”

My heart went cold, and there was ice in my voice. “That would be a very bad idea.”

Inleio watched my face closely. “Yes,” he said, nodding after a time. “Yes, I think so too. And it makes me happy to hear it.”

He smiled then, and the others smiled with him. That’s when it hit me. Their test--

“We wanted to be sure,” Inleio said. “Of your character and Yuki’s too. That you would wield your weapons wisely, and that you would defend yourself from those that would try to wield you.”

A tear ran down Mumu’s face, following the track left by her new scar. “You are a Blessing to us, Eight. And now you are a Blessing doubled.”

Ah, these hunters--these pragmatic friends of mine--they saw Yuki’s usefulness and approved.